Increased canyon traffic for some Rancho Cucamonga residents

Residents on Skyline Road in Rancho Cucamonga have experienced more foot traffic in front of their homes with more people visiting the canyon through their street. Skyline Road is the only legal way to get to the area from city streets. (Neil Niisperos/Staff)

RANCHO CUCAMONGA - Residents of scenic Skyline Road in the most northwestern corner of the city have noticed a marked increase in foot traffic in front of their homes since the city increased enforcement of a trespassing law through nearby Crestview Court.

Hikers have come in increasing numbers in recent years to visit the Sapphire Falls area of the Cucamonga Canyon thanks to recent social media buzz.

A popular entry point to get to the canyon had been through private property on Crestview Place, but the city installed no trespassing signs, and have increased patrols.

The only legitimate way into the canyon is through Skyline Road, a north-south roadway that dead ends at its northern point: the entrance of a fireroad heading into the canyon.

Visitors must park on the nearby east-west Almond Street and walk up Skyline to get to the trail.

Otis Radford, a Realtor, said foot traffic in front of his home has increased "by 80 percent." Radford said he'd like to see an ordinance closing the canyon at night.

"We still have the residential permit parking only so they're not parking cars on Skyline, but they're certainly occupying a large portion of Almond. We get lots of foot traffic," Radford said.

"It would be nice to have an ordinance closing out that area at 6:30 p.m. They come and go as they please more or less. It would be a lot better if they had a time line on that."

Radford said the increased numbers of people walking up and down the sidewalk in front of his home would impact the sale of his house, should he choose to put it on the market.

"If I had my home up for sale and somebody was looking for a nice quiet residential area, they wouldn't buy my house. That's how big an impact this has. My house would not be a fast seller. For me to get top dollar, I don't think I can do it, because of that foot traffic."

Radford's neighbor, Jamil Samouh, experienced two separate criminal incidents at his home: a break-in, and the theft of his security cameras.

"Somebody broke into my house," Samouh said.

"I was talking to the cop, and he said it could be happening from too much traffic. Everybody's going up and down now."

Resident Danny Peelman sees two perspectives on the issue: as a homeowner on Crestview Court, a cul-de-sac off Crestview Place, and as the trespassing prosecutor for the city of Rancho Cucamonga.

"On Tuesday, I prosecuted 12 of the cases (from trespassers on Crestview)," Peelman said. "It's a misdemeanor. They can be fined a thousand dollars or six months in jail."

Peelman said there were triple the number of trespassers coming up through Crestview before the enforcement started in late spring this year. He laughs as he recalls an incident in which a groom, a bride, and a photographer were taking wedding photos in his neighbor's backyard.

"There are still a significant number of people, but they're starting to use Sapphire, which is the correct route to get to the canyon," he said.